M. J. Thirumalachar

M. J. Thirumalachar
Born Mandayam Jeersannidhi Thirumalachar
(1914-09-14)14 September 1914
Mysore State, British India
Died 21 April 1999(1999-04-21) (aged 84)
Walnut Creek, California, US
Nationality Indian
Fields
Institutions
Alma mater
Doctoral advisor
Known for Discovery of fungi and development of antibiotics
Notable awards

Mandayam Jeersannidhi Thirumalachar (14 September 1914 – 21 April 1999) was an Indian mycologist, microbiologist, plant pathologist and the co-founder of Jeersannidhi-Anderson Institute, California.[1][2] He was the head of R&D at Hindustan Antibiotics Limited[3] and a professor at Banaras Hindu University as well as the Central College of Bangalore.[4] He was known for the development of antifungal antibiotics such as Hamycin, Dermostatin, Aureofungin, MYc-4 and Tetraenenin[5] and was an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy.[6][note 1] The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to Medical Sciences in 1967.[7][note 2]

Biography

University of Mysore

M. J. Thirumalachar was born in the erstwhile Mysore State of British India on 22 September 1914 to Vengadammal and M. J. Narasimhan, a known plant pathologist and mycologist after whom two genera of fungus (Narasimhella and Narasimhania) have been named,[8][9] as their second child.[10] The young boy was named after his great grandfather, Jeersannidhi Thirumalachar Swamy, erstwhile head of Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt, a vaishnavite religious center situated in Melukote. After early schooling in Malleswaram, a neighborhood of Bengaluru, he graduated from Central College, Bangalore before earning a Doctor of Science from the University of Mysore in 1944 and moved to the University of Wisconsin from where he secured a PhD in 1948 working under the supervision of James G. Dickson.[6][note 3] On his return to India, he served at Banaras Hindu University as the head of the department of Mycology and Plant Pathology and at the Central College of Bangalore. Subsequently, he joined Central Potato Research Institute, Patna as the Chief Plant Pathologist but moved to Hindustan Antibiotics Limited where he headed the R and D division. He served out his regular career at HAL, superannuating as the superintendent of research in 1975. Later, he returned to the US and served as a professor at the Department of Pediatrics of University of Minnesota Medical School and also had a short stint as a visiting scientist at the Danish Institute of Seed Pathology, Copenhagen. In 1979, he founded Jeersannidhi Anderson Institute, along with his son, M. J. Narasimhan jr., for advanced research in mycology and plant pathology[12] and was the director of the institute till the end of his life.[10]

Thirumalachar's family produced four notable mycologists; his father, M. J. Narasimhan, son, M. J. Narasimhan jr. and his nephew, M. C. Srinivasan.[13][14] He spent the last two decades of his life in Walnut Creek, California and it was here he died on 21 April 1999, at the age of 84.[15]

Legacy

Entomophthora muscae

Thirumalachar's researches spanned across various disciplines of science such as botany, mycology, microbiology, antibiotics and chemotherapy and his studies on fungi covered all major groups in mycology.[16] The first of his several discoveries was in 1943 when he identified Masseeella breyniae, a species of rust,[17] revealed through an article published in New Phytologist journal.[18] He was the first scientist, along with M. J. Narasimhan and Charles Gardner Shaw,[8] to describe the genus of Sclerophthora, which he published in an article, "The sporangial phase of the downy mildew Elensine coracana with a discussion of the identity of Sclerospora macrospora Sacc." in 1953.[19] Ten years later, he described another genus, Georgefischeria, a genus of fungi named after renowned mycologist, G. W. Fischer, in 1953. He proposed a morphological methodology for characterizing Entomophthora from Conidiobolus, two genera of fungi and discovered two other genera, viz. Narasimhania and Narasimhella, both named after his father, M. J. Narasimhan.[20][21] Two of his other discoveries were Mehtamyces, a genus of fungi[22][23] and Flueggea virosa a species of bushweeds.[24] He furthered the studies of the British mycologist, Arthur Barclay, on Aecidium esculentum and identified Ravenelia esculenta as the causal factor for malformations in Acacia eburnea.[25] Overall, he established the presence of 30 new genera and 300 new species of fungi[6] which included Mundukurella (named after his collaborator, B. B. Mundkar), Franzpetrakia and Chainia.[26][27][28]

During his days at Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Thirumalachar focused on medical mycology and plant disease control.[29] As the head of the research and development division, he led a team of scientists who developed a number antibiotic preparations, including Antiamoebin of Emericellopsis sp, an antimicrobial polypeptide which has reported use as a carrier, as a pore-forming peptaibol,[30] as a de-worming agent, and as a yield-enhancing supplement in dairy and poultry industries. Antifungal antibiotics, such as Hamycin,[31] Dermostatin,[32] Aureofungin,[33] MYc-4 and Tetraenenin are some of the other products developed by his team at Hindustan Antibiotics.[15] At Wisconsin, he developed a set of chemicals, New chemotherapeutic agents for the control of plant and animal diseases,[34] which has since been put to use as a product, Phyton-27, by Phyton Corporation.[35] He documented his researches by way of several monographs[36] and articles published in peer-reviewed journals[37][38][note 4] and his work has been cited by a number of authors and researchers.[39][40][41][42] The monographs and other edited books published by him include Ustilaginales of India,[43] Revisions of and additions to Indian fungi : I,[44] Revisions of and additions to Indian fungi : II,[45] Revisions of and additions to Indian fungi : III,[46] Check list of Cercospora species in India,[47] Plant disease problems : proceedings of the First International Symposium on Plant Pathology, [December 27, 1966 – January 1, 1967],[48] Studies on some stripe smuts of grasses in Wisconsin,[11] Puccinia Droogensis Butler on Berberis Aristata[49] and Tuberculina on Uromyces Hobsoni Vize.[50] He also held a number of US patents which included Synthesis of pharmaceutical compositions with lactams and .beta.-lactams/oxo thia azabicyclo compounds,[51] Microbial degradation of petroleum materials,[52] Method, compound and composition for effecting degradation of crude petroleum and petroleum products in an environment,[53] Process for the production of insulin by genetically transformed fungal cells,[54] Process of producing hamycin antibiotic and product produced[55] and N,N'Dibenzylethylenediamine-diacetylsalicylate, a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pain relief by external application,[56] several of them for processes he developed jointly with his father and son.[57] Many of the chemotherapeutants developed by him are in commercial use under various names such as Jai-Pro, MJN-1891 and Gopi-80.[6][58] He also mentored many students and B. G. L. Swamy was one among them.[10]

Thirumalachar was one of the founders of Mycological Society of India, served as its first vice president[59] and was a lifetime member of the society.[60] He founded Hindustan Antibiotics Bulletin, the official journal of Hindustan Antibiotics Limited[61] and was its first editor and publisher.[62] He was the president of the Indian Phytopathological Society in 1956[63] and was the chief editor of Indian Phytopathology and Applied Microbiology, the official journal of the Society, in 1957.[64] He was also involved with the International Journal of Antibiotics as a member of its editorial board and served on the council of the Indian National Science Academy during 1969–71.[6] He was a member of the Mycological Society of America as well as Indian Microbiological Society[6] and chaired the Agricultural section of the 37th Indian Science Congress held in Pune in 1950.[65]

Awards and honors

The Indian National Science Academy elected Thirumalachar as their fellow in 1956;[66] INSA honored him again in 1967 with Sunder Lal Hora Medal.[67] The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded him Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, one of the highest Indian science awards the same year.[68] He was also an elected fellow of Indian Phytopathological Society, New York Academy of Sciences and Mycological Society of India[69] and a recipient of the Polish Academy of Sciences Medal.[6] A number of scientists have acknowledged his contributions to science[26] and RGUHS Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences mentioned his contributions in their editorial of Jul–Sep 2014 issue on the occasion of his birth centenary.[15] The Indian Institute of Science organizes an annual lecture, M J Thirumalachar & M J Narasimhan Endowment Lecture in his honor[70] and the Mycological Society of India has instituted an award, Dr. M.J. Thirumalachar Merit Awards for Young Scientists, for promoting excellence in research in mycology.[61]

Selected bibliography

Books and monographs

Articles

Patents

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Long link – please click on MJ Thirumalachar to see details
  2. ↑ Long link - please select award year to see details
  3. ↑ His thesis, Studies on some stripe smuts of grasses in Wisconsin, was later published as a book.[11]
  4. ↑ Please see Selected bibliography section

References

  1. ↑ "Are the days of incurable diseases really over?". The Hindu. 20 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Biography of IPS Presidents". ISSUU. 2017.
  3. ↑ MEHROTRA (2005). PLANT PATHOLOGY. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 35–. ISBN 978-1-259-08226-9.
  4. ↑ "Masseeella Breynia". New Phytologist. Wiley. 42: 45–48. 2017. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1943.tb04984.x.
  5. ↑ "Brief Profile of the Awardee". Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Deceased fellow". Indian National Science Academy. 2016.
  7. ↑ "View Bhatnagar Awardees". Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Mandayam Jeersannidhi Narasimhan". Neglected Science. 2017.
  9. ↑ Thirumalachar, M. J. (1970). "Prof. M. J. Narasimhan" (PDF). Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "Biographical Memoirs" (PDF). Indian National Science Academy. 2007.
  11. 1 2 Studies on some stripe smuts of grasses in Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin—Madison. 1948. p. 98. OCLC 51679618.
  12. ↑ "Jeersannidhi Anderson Institute". California Corporates. 2017.
  13. ↑ K. Kieslich; C.P. van der Beek; J.A.M. de Bont, W.J.J. van den Tweel (9 December 1997). New Frontiers in Screening for Microbial Biocatalysts. Elsevier. pp. 223–. ISBN 978-0-08-053752-8.
  14. ↑ "Prof. M. J. Narasimhan" (PDF). Zobodat. 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 R. S. Thakur (2014). "Pioneering efforts in drug discovery" (PDF) (Vpol. 4 Issue 3 ed.). RGUHS J Pharm Sci. p. Editorial. doi:10.5530/rjps.2014.3.1.
  16. ↑ "Obituary on IISc". Indian Institute of Science. 2017.
  17. ↑ A. V. Sathe. "Revision of Masseeella narasimhanii Thirum. (Uredinales)" (PDF). Zobodat.
  18. ↑ Thirumalachar, M.J. (1943). "Masseeella breyniae". New Phytologist. 42: 45–48. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1943.tb04984.x.
  19. ↑ Thirumalachar, M.J.; Shaw, C.G.; Narasimhan, M.T. (1953). "The sporangial phase of the downy mildew Elensine coracana with a discussion of the identity of Sclerospora macrospora Sacc.". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 80: 299–307. doi:10.2307/2481765.
  20. ↑ Pavgi & Thirumalachar (2017). "Narasimhania". Myco Bank.
  21. ↑ Thirumalachar & P.N. Mathur (2017). "Narasimhella". Myco Bank.
  22. ↑ "Mehtamyces". Myco Bank. 2017.
  23. ↑ M. B. KALODE and B. V. PATIL (1978). "Critical Notes on some Plant Rusts from India" (PDF). Zobodat.
  24. ↑ "Flueggea virosa". Paperity. 2017.
  25. ↑ M. C. Srinivasan (August 1999). "M. J. Thirumalachar (1914–1999) – An obituary" (PDF). Current Science. 77 (4).
  26. 1 2 C. Manoharachary, I. K. Kunwar and A.B. Rajithasri (2014). "Advances in applied mycology and fungal biotechnology" (PDF). Kavaka. 43: 79–92.
  27. ↑ Ji-Sheng Ruan, Mary P. Lechevalier, Cheng-Lin Jiang S, Huberta A. Lechavlier (1985). "Chainia kunmingensis, a New Actinomycete Species Found in Soil" (PDF). International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology. 35 (2): 164–168. doi:10.1099/00207713-35-2-164.
  28. ↑ M. J. Thirumalachar (1955). "Chainia, a New Genus of the Actinomycetales". Nature. 176: 934–935. doi:10.1038/176934b0.
  29. ↑ "Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners" (PDF). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. 1999.
  30. ↑ "Antiamoebin can function as a carrier or as a pore-forming peptaibol". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Biomembranes. Science Direct. 1415: 255–260. 2017. doi:10.1016/S0005-2736(98)00184-9.
  31. ↑ "Hindustan Antibiotics may not find buyers". Business Standard. 30 December 2016.
  32. ↑ "Total synthesis of the polyene macrolide dermostatin A". Tetrahedron. Science Direct. 58: 6561–6576. 2017. doi:10.1016/S0040-4020(02)00666-X.
  33. ↑ Malcolm Woodbine (22 January 2016). Antimicrobials and Agriculture: The Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Antibiotics in Agriculture: Benefits and Malefits. Elsevier. pp. 147–. ISBN 978-1-4831-9245-1.
  34. ↑ "Patent No. US4673687". Google Patents. 2017.
  35. ↑ "Patent No. US20060178431". Google Patents. 2017.
  36. ↑ "inauthor:M. J. Thirumalachar". Google Books. 2017.
  37. ↑ "Thirumalachar MJ[Author]". PubMed. 2017.
  38. ↑ "Person: M.J. Thirumalachar". Taxonomicon. 2017.
  39. ↑ M.W. Dick (29 June 2013). Straminipilous Fungi: Systematics of the Peronosporomycetes Including Accounts of the Marine Straminipilous Protists, the Plasmodiophorids and Similar Organisms. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 540–. ISBN 978-94-015-9733-3.
  40. ↑ M.W. Dick (29 June 2013). Straminipilous Fungi: Systematics of the Peronosporomycetes Including Accounts of the Marine Straminipilous Protists, the Plasmodiophorids and Similar Organisms. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 313–. ISBN 978-94-015-9733-3.
  41. ↑ Don J. Brenner; Noel R. Krieg; James R. Staley (14 December 2007). Bergey's Manual® of Systematic Bacteriology: Volume 2: The Proteobacteria, Part B: The Gammaproteobacteria. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 1057–. ISBN 978-0-387-28022-6.
  42. ↑ Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry. Academic Press. 1 January 1965. pp. 148–. ISBN 978-0-08-058347-1.
  43. ↑ Bhalchendra Bhavanishanker Mundkur; Mandayam Jeersannidhi Thirumalachar (1952). Ustilaginales of India. Commonwealth Mycological Institute.
  44. ↑ M. J. BHĀLA-CHANDRA BHAVĀNĪ-ṢAN̄KARA MANDAKŪR and TIRUMALĀCHĀRYA (1946). Revisions of and Additions to Indian Fungi. By B.B. Mundkur and M.J. Thirumalachar. (no. 2, Etc. By B.B. Mundkur and Sultan Ahmad.). Kew.
  45. ↑ Bhalchandra Bhavanishankar Mundkur; Sultan Ahmad (1946). Revisions of and Additions to Indian Fungi: II. Imperial Mycological Institute.
  46. ↑ M. J. Thirumalachar; Bhalchandra Bhavanishankar Mundkur (1951). Revisions of and Additions to Indian Fungi: III. Imperial Mycological Institute.
  47. ↑ H.C. Govindu and M.J. Thirumalachar (1963). Check list of Cercospora species in India. Government of India. p. 47. OCLC 6558224.
  48. ↑ Satya Prasad Raychaudhuri; R. Prasada; M. J. Thirumalachar (1970). Plant disease problems: proceedings of the First International Symposium on Plant Pathology, December 26, 1966 – January 1, 1967. Indian Phytopathological Society, Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
  49. ↑ M. J. Thirumalachar (1942). Puccinia Droogensis Butler on Berberis Aristata.
  50. ↑ M. J. Thirumalachar (1941). Tuberculina on Uromyces Hobsoni Vize.
  51. ↑ Mandayam Jeersannidhi Thirumalachar, Mandayam Jeersannidhi Narasimhan, Jr. (2000). "Synthesis of pharmaceutical compositions with lactams and .beta.-lactams/oxo thia azabicyclo compounds". US Patent No. 6015808. Justia Patents.
  52. ↑ Mandayam J. Thirumalachar, Mandayam J. Narasimhan, Jr. (15 November 1983). "Microbial degradation of petroleum materials". Google Patents. p. US Patent No. US 4415661 A.
  53. ↑ Mandayam J. Thirumalachar, Mandayam J. Narasimhan, Jr. (23 May 1985). "Method, compound and composition for effecting degradation of crude petroleum and petroleum products in an environment". Google Patents. p. US Patent No. WO1985002196 A1.
  54. ↑ Mandayam J. Thirumalachar, Mandayam J. Narasimhan, John A. Anderson (4 April 1978). "Process for the production of insulin by genetically transformed fungal cells". Google Patents. p. US Patent No. US 4082613 A.
  55. ↑ Mandayam J Thirumalachar (19 July 1966). "Process of producing hamycin antibiotic and product produced". Google Patents. p. US Patent No. US3261751 A.
  56. ↑ Mandayam J. Thirumalachar, Mandayam J. Narasimhan, Jr., Mandayam J. Kasthuri-Thirumalachar (19 August 1980). "N,N'Dibenzylethylenediamine-diacetylsalicylate, a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pain relief by external application". Google Patents. p. US Patent No. US 4218445 A.
  57. ↑ "ininventor:Mandayam J. Thirumalachar". Google Patents. 2017.
  58. ↑ Y. S. Ahlawat, M. M. Payak, M. J. Thirumalachar (1989). "Control of Citrus Greening Disease in India" (PDF). Current Science. 58 (16).
  59. ↑ "Office bearers of the Society for 1973". Mycological Society of India. 2017.
  60. ↑ "Honorary Members". Mycological Society of India. 2017.
  61. 1 2 "Dr. M.J. Thirumalachar Merit Awards for Young Scientists". Mycological Society of India. 2017.
  62. ↑ "Hindustan Antibiotics Bulletin". National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2017.
  63. ↑ "Presidents – IPS". Indian Phytopathological Society. 2017.
  64. ↑ "Chief Editors – IPS". Indian Phytopathological Society. 2017.
  65. ↑ "Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Indian Science Congress, Poona,". Cab Direct. 2017.
  66. ↑ "INSA Year Book 2016" (PDF). Indian National Science Academy. 2017.
  67. ↑ "Sunder Lal Hora Medal". Indian National Science Academy. 2017.
  68. ↑ "Medical Sciences". Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013.
  69. ↑ "Professor. MJ. Thirumalachar on BIS India". BIS India. 2017.
  70. ↑ "M J Thirumalachar & M J Narasimhan Endowment Lectures". Indian Institute of Science. 2017.

Further reading

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